A David Beckham freekick on 45 minutes was followed by a Ruud Van Nistelrooy penalty 10 minutes before the end which meant that Blackburn's 4-0 win against 10-man Tottenham at White Hart Lane was enough for the Lancashire side to leapfrog the Blues into Europe.

The heartache of missing out on Europe is a massive blow to Everton who have made great strides under Moyes this season. After occupying a top six position for most of the campaign the Blues were still in the running for a Champions League place until Easter and many had suggested a return to Europe would have been just reward for a fabulous season.

To make things worse, the Toffees' teenage sensation Wayne Rooney picked up a medial ligament knee injury and will miss his country's trip to South Africa in the summer.

The 17-year-old striker (pictured) aggravated a knock picked up early in the game via a second half clash with United defender Laurent Blanc and is also a doubt for England's Euro 2004 qualifier against Slovakia. Rooney will have a scan on the injury on Monday.

Elsewhere, a 2-1 defeat at Stamford Bridge saw Liverpool fail to make the Champions League as Chelsea grabbed fourth spot.

West Ham were finally relegated despite drawing 2-2 with Birmingham at St Andrews as Bolton clung on to beat Middlesbrough 2-1 at the Reebok Stadium to guarantee their Premiership status for another year.